Oil refinery in Russia hit by ‘terror’ drone

Adrone strike caused a fire at a refinery in southwest Russia near the border with Ukraine but no one was hurt and the blaze was contained quickly, officials said.

The blaze engulfed industrial equipment at the Novoshakhtinsk oilprocessing plant in the Rostov-on-Don region.

Dozens of firefighters extinguished the flames in 30 minutes, authorities said.

The fire was caused by a strike by two drones, the refinery said, describing it as a “terrorist” act.

It did not give further details but the state news agency Tass said two Ukrainian drones flew over the plant and one of them slammed into a heat exchanger, triggering the fire.

Ukrainian officials have not claimed responsibility for the strike.

A video posted on a messaging app channel showed a drone flying by and hitting what was purported to be the refinery, with a plume of smoke rising into the sky.

The Rostov regional governor, Vasily Golubev, said fragments of two drones were found on the territory of the plant.

The refinery said it temporarily suspended operations to assess the damage.

Yesterday’s attack follows a series of explosions and fires in western Russia amid Moscow’s fighting in Ukraine in an operation that began nearly four months ago. In April, two Ukrainian helicopter gunships struck an oil depot in Belgorod, according to Russian officials, causing a massive fire.

Several other explosions and fires hit refineries, oil depots and an ammunition storage facility.

Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility for the incidents but some Ukrainian media have lauded them as the result of Ukrainian strikes.

White roses for the fallen commander in Kyiv.

SACRIFICE: A Ukrainian serviceman pays his last respects to a battalion commander.